SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Simaudio product director Dominique Poupart and marketing director Étienne Gautier to discuss the company’s new North Collection, how it was developed, what it means for the future of hi-fi, why the remote control is the best in the world, and how the lineup has been embraced by audiophile press and customers alike. They also dig into how a brand radically reinvents itself after four decades without losing its identity, and why it’s scary for a manufacturer to pack so much functionality into fewer and fewer boxes. 

Sources:

North Collection: https://simaudio.com/en/product-category/north-collection/

"Simaudio’s Moon 791 Streaming Preamplifier: Uncompromised" by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1841-simaudio-s-moon-791-streaming-preamplifier-uncompromised

"Moon by Simaudio Has Exited the Echo Chamber" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1201-moon-by-simaudio-has-exited-the-echo-chamber

"Simaudio’s Étienne Gautier & the Art of Marketing Moon" on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/simaudio-s-etienne-gautier-the-art-of-marketing-moon-baumgartner-restoration-taskmaster/

"The Maverick" by Baumgartner Restoration: https://youtu.be/LV2eOu14fQM?si=eiVbtAhMteYG2taI

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Greetings and salutations
00:01:07 The development of the Simaudio North Collection 
00:23:45 Music Break: "Funkymania" by Omri Smadar and The Original Orchestra
00:25:11 Controlling the North Collection and where Simaudio goes from here
00:51:48 The soundtrack to Dominique’s and Étienne’s lives

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SVS president Gary Yacoubian and VP of marketing Nick Brown to discuss the company’s history, its unique approach to hi-fi and home theater, and how it actively engages with its customers. 

Sources:

SVS: https://www.svsound.com/

“The Only True Currency in This Bankrupt World” by Audio Unleashed: https://audiounleashed.podbean.com/e/the-only-true-currency-in-this-bankrupt-world/

“SVS Prime Wireless Pro Active Loudspeaker System” by Gordon Brockhouse: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/217-svs-prime-wireless-pro-active-loudspeaker-system

“SVS Prime Pinnacle Loudspeakers” by Philip Beaudette: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1358-svs-prime-pinnacle-loudspeakers

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Greetings and salutations
00:06:32 SVS: A brief history 
00:22:47 Music Break: "Everyday with You" by Ben Sharkey and Ziggy
00:24:09 How SVS builds its community
00:42:21 The soundtrack to Nick and Gary’s lives

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and SoundStage! Ultra senior editor Jason Thorpe to discuss Warsaw 2023, why it’s such a special show, what it’s like to be there, and what it was like to see it through the eyes of a young audiophile.

Sources:

SoundStage! coverage of Audio Video Show 2023 - Warsaw, Poland: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/audio-video-show-2023-warsaw-poland

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Introductions
00:01:07 What makes Warsaw special? 
00:27:12 Music Break: "Let Me Show You" by Eldar Kedem & Floating World
00:28:47 A vicarious walkthrough of the show00:50:20 The soundtrack to Jason’s life

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Emotiva’s Dan Laufman to discuss the origins of his passion for hi-fi, the history of electronics manufacturing in the neoliberal era, how to make an profit in the audio business ethically, the long hard road to revitalizing North American manufacturing capabilities, and the virtues of being inclusive instead of exclusive. 

Sources:

Emotiva: https://emotiva.com/

"The True Cost of Saving a Few Bucks: A Q&A with Emotiva's Dan Laufman" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1144-the-true-cost-of-saving-a-few-bucks-a-q-a-with-emotivas-dan-laufman

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Introductions
00:01:11 The road to Emotiva
00:23:01 Music Break: "Terems" by Amit Sagie
00:24:07 The realities of 21st century manufacturing
00:55:02 The soundtrack to Dan’s life

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Martijn Mensink of Dutch & Dutch to discuss how an old clock radio incubated a love of music that developed into a passion for good sound that evolved into a career in speaker design. During the course of the conversation, they explore Martijn’s history of speaker development, the business ventures that preceded Dutch & Dutch, how the company’s cardioid speaker design is transformative, and where the company is headed in the future.

Sources:

Dutch & Dutch: https://dutchdutch.com/

Dutch & Dutch 8c Active loudspeaker review by Diego Estan: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1270-dutch-dutch-8c-active-loudspeakers

"Intro to Dutch & Dutch and the 8c Active Loudspeaker" - SoundStage! InSight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2R9lEJH4O

"Dutch & Dutch 8c Active Loudspeaker in Detail" - SoundStage! InSight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW-6R5HP8SE 

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Introductions
00:01:02 From AM radio to a life in speaker design
00:15:50 Why cardioid speakers hit different
00:31:12 Music Break: "Astra" by Magiksolo
00:32:31 Room acoustics, app development, and the future of Dutch & Dutch
00:50:23 The soundtrack to Martijn’s life

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by David Mascioni, Global Director of Brand Marketing for McIntosh, to discuss the origins of the original World of McIntosh Townhouse in New York City, how it developed, why it closed, and how the concept evolved into the new House of Sound at a new location, with much more representation for the entire McIntosh Group and its collaborators. 

Sources:

“Inside the Incredible World of McIntosh Townhouse - SoundStage! InSight (December 2019)”: https://youtu.be/PeskkKlY4ds?si=SZBLugld9miiLyMp

"McIntosh Sound in the Jeep Grand Cherokee - SoundStage! Talks (January 2021)": https://youtu.be/d7_EoVrq12o?si=Ma7PhS3rS7QSLrX4

"Sonus faber Olympica Nova at World of McIntosh Townhouse | SoundStage! InSight (October 2019)": https://youtu.be/TBJRoH5uGQE?si=4TYfeW9rz7B6rB_U

https://houseofsoundnyc.com/

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Introductions
00:00:45 David fell in love with hi-fi at the World of McIntosh
00:27:54 Music Break: "Tell Me All the Lies" by Funky Giraffe
00:28:52 What’s different about the House of Sound?
00:43:53 The soundtrack to David’s life

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by legendary speaker designer Laurence Dickie to discuss his history with Bowers & Wilkins, the design of the iconic Nautilus, how his thinking on speaker design has evolved over to years, whether or not he draws inspiration from nature, and why his speakers are an exercise in engineering, not industrial design.

Sources:

"From the Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus to Vivid Audio Speakers - Laurence Dickie’s Tapered Tubes (Ep:58)" by SoundStage!: https://youtu.be/dcef8tuxezU?si=6BDD7fWbYLp4ypiG

"A Family of Linear-Phase Crossover Networks of High Slope Derived by Time Delay" by Lipshitz, Stanley P.; Vanderkooy, John: https://secure.aes.org/forum/pubs/journal/?elib=4598

https://vividaudio.com/

https://www.blastloudspeakers.com/

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Introductions
00:01:05 The road to Bower & Wilkins and beyond
00:25:40 Music Break: "The Magnetic Buzz" by Moon Walk
00:26:33 Convergent evolution vs. convergent design
01:02:23 The soundtrack to Laurence’s life
01:04:45 "Golden Diamond" by Shahead Mostafafar

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and podcast producer Dennis Burger to discuss what Jorden has learned in six months of hosting the podcast, since he’s been able to speak to some of the hi-fi industry’s most influential and respected luminaries. As Doug often tells him, “Talking to these people is like getting a PhD course in hi-fi.” So has doing so helped Jorden? Listen and find out.

Sources:

Status and Culture by W. David Marx: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/659558/status-and-culture-by-w-david-marx/

How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel: https://chadorzel.com/?cat=4

Why Amplifiers Don't Sound the Same - Understanding Voltage and Current for Loudspeakers (Ep:71): https://youtu.be/pTeAJJQ9a10?si=huMJjMK62SiAEFCk

Neil Young and Rick Rubin: World Record, Recording on Tape, and Creative Process | Apple Music: https://youtu.be/PZ-AVFpB3KI?si=FcAlAmr3OrXf10r4

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Introductions
00:01:48 Lessons learned from the experts
00:23:43 Music Break: "Baby I'm Stuck in a Cone" by Ge Filter Fish
00:24:38 Artist’s intent, analog vs. digital, and more
00:40:45 What’s next?
00:47:52 The music that moves us

This week on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by Monitor Audio global marketing director Michael Johnson and technical director Michael Hedges to discuss how the Concept 50 speaker was developed; how it evolved into the company’s new flagship retail offering, the Hyphn; what makes a Monitor Audio speaker sound like a Monitor Audio speaker; and what’s in store for the future. 

Sources:

Monitor Audio Hyphn Speaker 1 - From Visionary Concept to Cutting-Edge Completion: https://youtu.be/uk5vckG5Imw

Monitor Audio Hyphn Speaker 2 - Advanced Acoustical Concepts and Daring Industrial Design: https://youtu.be/5BTZ5REwjCQ

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Introductions
00:00:40 How Michael and Michael fell in love with hi-fi
00:06:38: Making speakers the Monitor way
00:24:27 Music Break: "Dollshade" by Van Crankin
00:25:29 How the Concept 50 and Hyphn actually came together
00:33:26 The response so far…
00:40:49 We love rock’n’roll

This week on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by Anthony Grimani, former director of technology for THX and founder of Performance Media Industries, to discuss his history with Dolby and THX, why the room is such a crucial component of any sound system, home theater vs. hi-fi, room correction, and whether the world needed yet another speaker company.

Sources:

Grimani Systems: https://www.grimanisystems.com/

Performance Media Industries, Ltd.: https://pmiltd.com/

Sonitus USA: https://www.sonitususa.com/

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:01:06 From Dolby to THX and beyond
00:06:34 Why the room is a crucial component
00:21:49 Home theater vs. hi-fi?
00:28:09 How to start dealing with the room
00:42:55 Music Break: "Talk" by Con Davison
00:44:09 Did we really need another speaker company?
00:55:36 How to find the right speaker for your room
00:58:30 Is room correction the answer?
01:08:04 No, but seriously, what is hi-fi?

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and former SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast cohost Brent Butterworth to discuss the what, how, and why of speaker and headphone measurements. What measurements correlate with listening impressions? How do active and wireless products complicate measurements? And what’s the right balance of listening versus measuring when it comes to fully evaluating a product.

Sources:

"Is the miniDSP EARS the Death of Headphone Measurement? Or its Savior?" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/152-is-minidsp-ears-the-death-of-headphone-measurement-or-its-savior

SoundStage! Network speaker-measurements resource URL: www.SpeakerMeasurements.com 

Sean Olive on Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car": https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7084958885526065153/

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 What we measure with transducers and why
00:25:09 Musical interlude: "You Don't Really Exist" by Nim Sadot
00:26:40 When measurements go wrong and why bass always wins
01:04:01 Brent on the music that moves him

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by Jack Oclee-Brown, VP of Technology at KEF, to discuss speaker design and engineering, the development of the Tangerine Waveguide, how electromechanical design and industrial design come together, KEF in cars, and more . . . 

Sources:

The Sweet Sound of KEF's Tangerine Waveguide: https://us.kef.com/blogs/news/the-sweet-sound-of-kef-s-tangerine-waveguide

"KEF Blade Loudspeakers" by Barry Jones: https://www.soundstageaustralia.com/index.php/reviews/516-kef-blade-loudspeakers

KEF x LOTUS Partnership: https://us.kef.com/pages/kef-lotus-partnership

Metamaterial Absorption Technology: https://us.kef.com/pages/metamaterial

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Design choices and how they matter
00:20:22 Musical interlude: "Wanting You" by Jamison Dewlen
00:21:34 The value of aspirational products
00:42:11 The soundtrack to Jack’s life

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by James Hale, author of SoundStage! Xperience’s popular “Art+Tech” column, to discuss his unique approach to hardware and music reviews, how the column came about, the value of today’s audio gear as compared with that of decades past, and how technology influences the creation and enjoyment of art. 

Sources:

"How Good Can the Focal Utopia Headphones Make Remarkable Recordings Sound?" by James Hale: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/art-tech/1104-how-good-can-the-focal-utopia-headphones-make-remarkable-recordings-sound

"Battling Anxiety with Arcade Fire and the Rotel A12MKII Integrated Amplifier-DAC" by James Hale: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/art-tech/1072-battling-anxiety-with-arcade-fire-and-the-rotel-a12mkii-integrated-amplifier-dac

http://jameshale.ca/music.html

https://downbeat.com/site/author/james-hale

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 How SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider inspired “Art+Tech”
00:22:56 Musical interlude: "My Bet" by RocknStock
00:24:05 It’s about the music, silly!
00:39:39 …except for opera

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by Dr. Mark Waldrep of AIX Records fame to discuss changes in the audiophile music marketplace over the years, as well as Mark’s controversial and ever-evolving views on high-resolution music recording and playback, as well as why he stopped mastering records altogether.

Sources:

"Audibility of a CD-Standard A/DA/A Loop Inserted into High-Resolution Audio Playback" by E. Brad Meyerand David R. Moran: https://secure.aes.org/forum/pubs/journal/?ID=2#:~:text=The%20test%20results%20show%20that,Authors%3A%20Meyer%2C%20E

"Researching HD-Audio: The Truth" by Mark Waldrep: https://www.realhd-audio.com/?p=6993

https://www.aixrecords.com/

https://www.itrax.com/

“Music and Audio: A User Guide to Better Sound: by Mark Waldrep: https://www.musicandaudioguide.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@markwaldrep5143

https://www.artistconnection.net/

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 Does high-res matter?
00:35:25 Musical interlude: "Concerto in Fm (Bach)" by Ohad Ben-Ari
00:37:21 The most important component of your system
00:41:45 Is MQA a snow job?
00:48:54 The beauty of Bach

In this week’s episode, host Jorden Guth is joined by legendary mastering engineer Bernie Grundman to discuss what mastering is, what it isn’t, how mastering differs from remastering, and why vinyl sometimes sounds better than digital.

Sources:

“Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section” by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/recording-of-the-month-menu/1175-art-pepper-art-pepper-meets-the-rhythm-section

"Is It Just Me, or Are CDs Too Loud?" by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/feature-articles/on-music/944-is-it-just-me-or-are-cds-too-loud

"The Music Man" on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/the-music-man-joe-taylor-on-vinyl-and-cassettes-next-gen-audiophiles-curated-music-selections/

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:20 What does a mastering engineer do? 
00:20:25 Musical interlude: “Say No More” by Julian Hartwell
00:22:49 Digital vs. analog and radio vs. streaming
00:35:24 What music moves Bernie Grundman

In this week’s episode, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and electronics measurements specialist Diego Estan to discuss the publication’s measurement philosophy and methodology, and also get to the root of what the heck quadrature is and why you should have paid attention in physics class. Along the way, they discuss some of the best-measuring gear they’ve experienced, some of the most idiosyncratic, and how and why these measurements matter. They also talk about an important topic to Doug: volume-control accuracy, something that surprised Jorden. 

Sources:

“This is Why We Measure” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1240-this-is-why-we-measure

“Should You Buy More Amplifier or More Speaker Than You Need?” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1172-should-you-buy-more-amplifier-or-more-speaker-than-you-need

“NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier Measurements” by Diego Estan: https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2912:nad-masters-m23-stereo-mono-amplifier-measurements&catid=97:amplifier-measurements&Itemid=154 

“Atoll Electronique IN200 Integrated Amplifier Measurements” by Diego Estan: https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2772:atoll-electronique-in200-signature-integrated-amplifier-measurements&catid=97:amplifier-measurements&Itemid=154 

“Is 'Trickle Up' Tech the Future of Hi-Fi?” by Dennis Burger:  https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1243-is-trickle-up-tech-the-future-of-hi-fi

Chapters:
0:00 Announcement
0:20 What we measure
20:43 Musical interlude: “An Issue” by Lalinea
21:52 How much do these measurements matter?
1:03:59 Canadians rock!

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Wilson Audio CEO Daryl Wilson to talk about what it was like to grow up alongside the storied brand, which his father, David, and mother, Sheryl, founded; how his path through life led him back to the company; and how Wilson speakers are designed, built, and voiced differently from other loudspeakers.

Sources:

“The Great North American Loudspeaker Tour: Wilson Audio Specialties” by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageultra.com/twbas/twbas_200908_wilson.htm

Wilson Audio Specialties WATT/Puppy 7 Loudspeakers review  by Jeff Fritz: https://soundstageultra.com/equipment/wilson_watt_puppy_7.htm

Wilson Audio website: https://www.wilsonaudio.com/

Chapters:
0:00 Announcement
0:20 Growing up on Wilson Audio 
21:54 Musical interlude: “Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Summer: 3. Presto” by the Dover Quartet
22:18 Reference standards, the importance of time alignment, and the future of hi-fi
47:28 Pink Floyd Fridays and guilty pleasures

Host Jorden Guth is trotting the globe this week and is tight on time, so he and producer Dennis Burger dug into the vaults to pull out an interview from last year with Simaudio’s marketing director Étienne Gautier. In this extended cut of the conversation, Dennis and Étienne discuss how the company’s marketing strategy is evolving and why Moon by Simaudio decided to sponsor the best art-restoration show on YouTube.

Sources:

“Moon by Simaudio Has Exited the Echo Chamber” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1201-moon-by-simaudio-has-exited-the-echo-chamber

"The Maverick" by Baumgartner Restoration: https://youtu.be/LV2eOu14fQM

Taskmaster on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Taskmaster

Hania Rani: https://haniarani.com/

Chapters:
0:00 Announcement
0:20 Why brand awareness matters
5:51 Musical Interlude I: "Jazz it Up" by Wesly Thomas
6:18 In conversation with Simaudio’s Étienne Gautier
23:45 Musical Interlude II: "Jazz it Up" by Wesly Thomas
24:07 The importance of emotional connections

In this episode, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! Xperience senior editor Joseph Taylor to discuss his love for vinyl, the cassette tape revival, creating the next generation of audiophiles, and the ways in which music mastering has changed over the decades. 

They also dig into Joe’s ongoing “Curator” series of articles, how he finds his inspiration, why he focuses on certain artists, and how he and his daughters influence one another’s musical tastes. 

Sources:

“Experience ‘Xperience’ Anew” by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/pulse-menu/1093-experience-xperience-anew

“En Attendant Ana: Juillet" by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/music-and-movie-reviews/featured-releases/1032-en-attendant-ana-juillet

“Savak: Human Error / Human Delight" by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/recording-of-the-month-menu/1112-savak-human-error-human-delight

“James Brown, Curated” by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/curator/1099

You can also find links to all of Joe’s “Curator” articles at: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/curator

Chapters:
0:00 Announcement
0:20 Why Joe still loves vinyl
20:06 Musical Interlude: “Freerolling” by T. Bless & the Professionals
20:32 Crafting “Curator” and picking desert-island discs

In this episode, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! Solo editor Geoff Morrison to discuss headphones as a gateway drug into hi-fi, traveling with over-ears vs. on-ears, and mixing audio for a variety of headphones, speakers, and even YouTube. 

They also dig into dedicated music players vs. smartphones, whether or not Bluetooth can deliver good sounds, if anyone can do noise canceling better than Bose, and Geoff’s personal recommendations for good in-ears and on-ears for on the road and at home.

By the way, Geoff’s first international trip since the pandemic was in 2022, not 2020, and feels horrified he said the wrong year during the podcast.

Sources:

“Bald Nomad – adventures described in words and pictures” by Geoff Morrison: http://baldnomad.com/ 

“A Bluetooth Blind Test” by Brent Butterworth: http://www.brentbutterworth.com/bluetooth-blind-test.html

@GeoffMorrison on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GeoffreyMorrison914

"Eardrum Suck: The Mystery Solved!" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/178-eardrum-suck-the-mystery-solved

“Do Noise-Cancelling Headphones Hurt Your Ears? You’re Not Alone” by Brent Butterworth and Lauren Dragan: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/how-do-noise-cancelling-headphones-work/

@inveterate_adventurer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inveterate_adventurer/?hl=en

Chapters:
0:00 Announcement
0:20 Getting to know Geoff
23:09 Musical Interlude
24:15 YouTube, Noise canceling, and whether anybody can beat Bose

In this first episode of the second season of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, new host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider to discuss the road forward.

Although Jorden has been working for about ten years in high-end hi-fi as part of our video team, to most he is a new face in the hi-fi scene. But he has the experience and he is also keenly award of trends that appeal to young music listeners and to electronics purchasers in general. So when he and Doug start talking about Jorden and his background and where he will take this podcast from here, it quickly turns into a discussion about what the hi-fi industry is doing right and wrong from their perspectives–which Jorden inadvertently turned into a love letter to the UK brand KEF.

The two also take a virtual tour of the Florida International Audio Expo 2023 by way of SoundStage! Global’s coverage by Hans Wetzel and Doug Schneider, and discuss three speakers that really stood out to Doug, which are featured in the coverage, as well as in an article by Doug on SoundStage! Hi-Fi this month.

Sources:

Florida International Audio Expo 2023 - Tampa, USA:  https://soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/florida-international-audio-expo-2023-tampa-usa

“The Best of Florida International Audio Expo 2023” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1762-the-best-of-florida-international-audio-expo-2023 

In their final episode as co-hosts of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick off a super-sized rant by digging into Robert Harley’s editorial from the February 2023 issue of The Absolute Sound to discuss what speaker sensitivity ratings actually mean and whether using volts instead of watts as a reference is deceptive (4:48 to 38:04).

From there (38:46 to 55:59), they dig deep to get to the bottom of the most important question in the domain of audio reproduction: what makes a 500-watt amp sound different from a 250-watt amp?

Next (56:51 to 1:21:06): an in-depth conversation with Geoffrey Morrison, the new senior editor of SoundStage! Solo, about his plans for the publication and how his travels influence his taste in and experience with headphones and portable audio in general.

Finally, Brent and Dennis take a few minutes to say goodbye and thanks to everyone who made this first season of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast possible. 

Sources:
The Absolute Sound: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/

"World Premier - Zesto Audio Eros 500 Select Class A Monoblocks" by Robert H. Levi: https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/zesto-audio-eros-500/

Bald Nomad: http://geoffreymorrison.com/

In this week’s first segment (2:26 to 22:02), Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger talk about the former’s experiences at CES 2023, and reminisce about what the show used to be, both in terms of hi-fi and as an overall barometer of the state of the consumer-electronics market.

Next up (22:44 to 45:57), they return to the Harman target curve well yet again to talk about a new video from The Headphone Show, which discusses their move away from the Harman curve as a result of their adoption of the B&K 5128 head and torso simulator.

Finally (46:48 to 58:57), they wrap up this week’s episode with a bit of a retrospective and a look toward the future.

Sources:

"Best audio tech at CES 2023" by Hamish Hector: https://www.techradar.com/news/best-audio-tech-at-ces-2023-next-gen-soundbars-headphones-and-earbuds

"Say goodbye to the Harman target" by The Headphone Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut5WeqH0vcs

"New Headphone Measurement Target FAQ" by The Headphone Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-mcdEW66jc

"Introducing the newest SoundGuy: The Bruel & Kjaer 5128" by AJ Wykes: https://www.soundguys.com/introducing-the-newest-soundguy-the-bruel-kjaer-5128-45973/

“A Fond Farewell” by Brent Butterworth: https://soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/366-a-fond-farewell

This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick off the discussion by digging into SoundStage!’s year-end coverage (3:17  to 26:06). In addition to discussing their favorite products of the year, they also talk about three people who deserve recognition for significant contributions to audio reproduction.

Next up (27:03 to 45:43), they dig into a piece from Stereophile about the ways in which audio distribution is changing, especially at the higher end. That leads right into a conversation (46:27 to 1:01:40) about JBL hitting an important milestone in the headphone market, and what implications that may or may not have for the validity of the Harman curve. 

Sources:

"The 2022 SoundStage! Network Awards for Outstanding Achievement and Products of the Year" by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1747-the-2022-soundstage-network-awards-for-outstanding-achievement-and-products-of-the-year

"Henry Kloss, Dead at 72" by David Lander: https://www.stereophile.com/news/11260/index.html

"Sivga SV023 Headphones Offer Outstanding Performance & Value for $450 - Take 2 Headphones" by Mike Perez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUaDnqOEg6w

"Re-Tales #27: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes in the hi-fi industry" by Julie Mullins: https://www.stereophile.com/content/re-tales-27-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes-hi-fi-industry

"JBL Hits 200 Million Headphones Milestone": https://news.harman.com/releases/jbl-hits-200-million-headphones-milestone

This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger start by taking a look at The Absolute Sound’s coverage of the Taiko Audio Extreme music server and evaluate some claims made by the manufacturer and reviewer alike (4:48 to 20:43). Does a glorified hard drive really need 700,000µF of capacitance? And should your music server really serve double duty as a space heater?

Next up (21:43 to 43:40), they check out a recent video by YouTuber Cheapaudioman in which he blind-tested a mid-level power cable and compared its performance to a stock cable with the same model of amp. More importantly, they dig into the comments section, which is surprisingly constructive.

Wrapping things up this week (44:23 to 56:28), Brent and Dennis skim the surface of a new article by Joseph Taylor on SoundStage! Xperience titled “XTC, Curated,” and also discuss other entries in the series, which dig deep into the history and output of a variety of musical artists. 

Sources:

“2022 Golden Ear: Taiko Audio Extreme Music Server” by Matthew Clott: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/2022-golden-ear-taiko-audio-extreme-music-server/

"The Art of Electronics, 3rd Edition" by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill: https://amzn.to/3Pmno96

"Do Power Cables Make a Difference? The Results Surprised Me - Blind Testing the Audioquest NRG-Z3" by Cheapaudioman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im1aKrc3A6E

“XTC, Curated” by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/curator/1087-xtc-curated

“Curator” category page on SoundStage! Xperience: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/curator

This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger visit the Audio Science Review forums to shine a spotlight on an overlooked comment by Dr. Sean Olive. The topic? Who should and shouldn’t be included in listening panels and whether a university janitor’s opinions about good sound are as valid as those of your average AES member (4:28 to 21:25). 

Next up (22:25 to 39:08), they opine about something of a unicorn: an article about audiophilia in a completely mainstream publication. In this case, it’s a piece by Sasha Frere-Jones in the latest issue of Harper’s titled "Corner Club Cathedral Cocoon.”

In this week’s final segment (39:52 to 57:34), Brent and Dennis watch a new episode of SoundStage! Real Hi-Fi, in which founder Doug Schneider discusses what skateboarding and hi-fi have in common, and why the resurgence of popularity of the former is good for the latter. 

Sources:

"Headphones and the Harman target curve" on Audio Science Review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/headphones-and-the-harman-target-curve.17914/page-18&mibextid=Zxz2cZ#post-1381960

"Where Are We At With The Harman Curve?" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/217-where-are-we-at-with-the-harman-curve

"The Relationship between Perception and Measurement of Headphone Sound Quality" by Sean Olive: https://seanolive.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-relationship-between-perception-and.html

"Corner Club Cathedral Cocoon” by Sasha Frere-Jones: https://harpers.org/archive/2022/12/corner-club-cathedral-cocoon-audiophilia-and-its-discontents/

“View of the World from 9th Avenue: by Saul Steinberg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_of_the_World_from_9th_Avenue

“Hi-Fi Will Never Die, Because Skateboarding Didn't - SoundStage! Real Hi-Fi (Ep:48)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksUDpzu8gHA

“Rubik’s Cube: A Craze Ends” in The New York Times Archives: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/30/business/rubik-s-cube-a-craze-ends.html

"Rubik’s Cube And Spin Master: A $50 Million Deal With Endless Possibilities" by Joan Verdon: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanverdon/2020/11/15/rubiks-cube-and-spin-master-a-50-million-deal-with-endless-possibilities/

This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger are joined by their old friend Steve Guttenberg—aka ”The Audiophiliac”—to discuss his recent interview with Professor Edgar Choueiri, the man behind the BACCH-SP Stereo Purifier (4:00 to 20:15). 

Steve was also kind enough to stick around for the second segment (20:54 to 46:15) to discuss Dolby Atmos for music and movies alike, as well as some particularly disastrous surround sound mixes from the DVD-A/SACD era. 

Wrapping things up this week (46:50 to 1:06:27), Brent and Dennis dig into two speaker-system reviews from Gordon Brockhouse on SoundStage! Simplifi: the new SVS Prime Wireless Pro, as well as the Totem Acoustic Kin Play Tower. Despite being superficially similar, in that they’re both speakers with their own internal amplification, these are actually two quite different products likely to appeal to two very different consumers.

Sources:

"Professor Choueiri perfected SPATIAL (3D) AUDIO!" by Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ484SKyOAc

"SVS Prime Wireless Pro Active Loudspeaker System" by Gordon Brockhouse: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/217-svs-prime-wireless-pro-active-loudspeaker-system

“Totem Acoustic Kin Play Tower Powered Loudspeaker System” by Gordon Brockhouse: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/216-totem-acoustic-kin-play-tower-powered-loudspeaker-system

In this week’s first segment (3:54 to 26:09), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into a review of the Lavardin ITx20 amp and discuss the manufacturer’s claims about “memory distortion” and how its circuitry eliminates that. This leads to a larger discussion about another big bugbear in the audio industry: the time domain.

Next (27:03 to 41:30) they unpack the news that Spotify is supposedly introducing a new $20 Platinum pricing tier that adds lossless hi-fi audio, as well as some other new features that are ill-defined as of yet. Will listeners be willing to pay $20 a month for CD-quality music, or is Spotify hoping the other doodads are the biggest draw?

In this week’s final segment (42:21 to 55:17), Brent and Dennis continue a time-honored tradition of vicariously visiting an audio show by way of SoundStage! Global’s coverage thereof. This time around, it’s Audio Video Show 2022, which was held in Warsaw, Poland. 

Sources:

"Lavardin ITx20 Review" by Alan Sircom: https://hifiplus.com/articles/lavardin-itx20-integrated-amplifier/

“The Most Important Algorithm Of All Time” by Veritasium: https://youtu.be/nmgFG7PUHfo

"Spotify could be readying a hi-res audio Platinum plan" by David Nield: https://www.techradar.com/news/spotify-could-be-readying-a-hi-res-audio-platinum-plan

"Audio Video Show 2022 - Warsaw, Poland" by Doug Schneider and Jason Thorpe:
https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/audio-video-show-2022-warsaw-poland 

In this week’s first segment (3:28 to13:55), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a story about a new Qobuz playlist featuring songs mixed for THX Spatial Audio. The mixes are designed to make the sound from your headphones seem like it’s coming from within the room rather than right in your ears. Does it work? Is it worth your time? And did Qobuz accomplish something that Apple couldn’t with this?

Next (14:58 to 30:48) they pontificate a bit on a new review of the Nordost QNet network switch and QSource linear power supply in Stereophile, except they really don’t talk much about the review itself. Instead, they use it as a springboard for a discussion about which components make a real difference and which components don’t. They also answer the age-old question: “What’s the all-time best jazz-backed beat poem about critical thinking?”

In this week’s final segment (31:24 to 52:10), our dynamic duo uses SoundStage! editor-in-chief Jeff Fritz's “Europe Tour 2022” series as an excuse to talk about factory tours, the value thereof, and whether or not engineering tools can truly be considered beautiful. 

Sources:

"THX Spatial Audio on Qobuz: Listen with ANY Headphones!" by Jacob Green: https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/thx-spatial-audio-qobuz

"Playlist: THX Spatial Audio" by Qobuz USA: https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/playlists/thx-spatial-audio-exclusive-tracks/10766496

"NAD C 399 Integrated Amplifier-DAC" by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1179-nad-c-399-integrated-amplifier-dac

"Storm" by Tim Minchin: https://youtu.be/jIWj3tI-DXg

"Giant Steps: A Player's Guide To Coltrane's Harmony for ALL Instrumentalists" by Walt Weiskopf & Ramon Ricker: https://amzn.to/3S6rT7M

“Björk: Sonic Symbolism”: https://pod.link/bjork

"Europe Tour 2022: Arriving in Vicenza and Visiting Sonus Faber" by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/opinion-menu/1136-europe-tour-2022-arriving-in-vicenza-and-visiting-sonus-faber

"Europe Tour 2022: Sonus Faber Speaker Production and Design Lab" by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/opinion-menu/1137-europe-tour-2022-sonus-faber-speaker-production-and-design-lab

In this week’s first segment (7:24 to 22:07), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a new piece by Andrew Heinzman about why he thinks surround sound, Dolby Atmos, and headphone virtualization don’t work for music. There’s some agreement. There’s some disagreement. There might even be some nuance. Who knows?

Next (23:00 to 35:56) they dig deep into SoundStage! Global’s coverage of CanJam SoCal 2022. What were the highlights of the show for Brent? And which products did Dennis wish he could hear for himself? 

Wrapping things up this week, (36:38 to 46:25), they riff on some recent coverage of a new reel-to-reel tape machine by Metaxas & Sins that looks like it was designed by and for Tony Stark. If this is the future of high-end audio, count us in!

Sources:

"Why Surround Sound Doesn’t Make Sense for Music" by Andrew Heinzman: https://www.reviewgeek.com/129509/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music/

"Jesse Ray Ernster & Bob Clearmountain on Mixing: 'We’re in!'" by John Baccigaluppi: https://tapeop.com/interviews/151/jesse-ray-ernster-bob-clearmountain-mixing/

"CanJam SoCal 2022 - Irvine, USA" by Brent Butterworth: https://soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/canjam-socal-2022-irvine-usa

SoundStage! Newsletter Signup Form and Focal Celestee headphones giveaway (until Oct. 31, 2022): https://soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2698&Itemid=601

"2022 Golden Ear: Metaxas & Sins Tourbillon T-RX Reel-to-Reel Tape Deck" by Jonathan Valin: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/2022-golden-ear-metaxas-sins-tourbillon-t-rx-reel-to-reel-tape-deck/

"Metaxas And Sins T-RX Portable Reel To Reel Finally In Production" at HiFi Pig: https://www.hifipig.com/metaxas-and-sins-t-rx-portable-reel-to-reel-finally-in-production/

Elusive Disc: https://elusivedisc.com/music/reel-to-reel-tape/

The Tape Project: https://tapeproject.com/

In this week’s first segment (3:20 to 24:00), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger have a conversation about a proposed new headphone tuning standard from Sonarworks called SoundID SR. What does it do and why does it exist? And does it reveal any flaws in the Harman Curve?

Next up (24:34 to 38:36) they react to the reporting on the announcement and release of Apple’s new second-generation AirPods Pro earphones, specifically the claim that these things block “two times as much noise.” Or is it “two times more noise”? And what do either of those things even mean? (Hint: they don’t mean the same thing.)

In the third segment (39:11 to 49:30), they dig deep into Gordon Brockhouse’s exciting new review of the JBL L75ms Integrated Music System for SoundStage! Simplifi. This all-in-one music player combines forward-thinking connectivity and crossover design with retro-yet-timeless styling, all wrapped in a gorgeous walnut cabinet, and Brent and Dennis are here for it.

Sources:

"SoundID SR for Headphones: A new Headphone Tuning Standard" by Helmuts Bems: https://www.sonarworks.com/blog/research/white-papeR

“Apple’s new AirPods Pro can cancel twice as much noise” by Chris Welch and Jay Peters: https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/7/23327631/apple-airpods-pro-new-second-gen-specs-price-release-date-features

"Phiaton 900 Legacy Bluetooth Headphones" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/equipment/headphones/349-phiaton-900-legacy-bluetooth-headphones

“JBL L75ms Integrated Music System” by Gordon Brockhouse: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/211-jbl-l75ms-integrated-music-system

In this week’s first segment (3:33 to 14:28), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger start by celebrating the return of Creem magazine and discussing a new article about the resurrection of 8-track tapes thanks to Sacred Bones Records.

Next up (15:26 to 37:09) they dig into the August issue of AudioXpress, which is dedicated to acoustics and acoustical treatments. Unsurprisingly, Brent and Dennis have opinions about how the high-end audio industry covers room acoustics, including the fact that the most thorough and conclusive research on this subject has largely been ignored.

And for something completely different (38:06 to 51:00), they discuss a recent SoundStage! Access article by Dennis about Midjourney, a text-to-image neural network that might give some insights into public perception of the audiophile hobby. 

Sources:

“Sacred Bones Resurrects the Objectively Greatest Audio Format: The 8-Track” by Grace Scott: https://www.creem.com/fresh-creem/sacred-bones-records-sacred-8-track-townes-van-zandt

“8-track player shootout” by Brent Butterworth: http://nebula.wsimg.com/70d6cc9f190ef501628c12bc8abc0c89?AccessKeyId=DF4B3AC4447AE4612BF0&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 [PDF]

“Acoustics and Great Audio Electronics in audioXpress August 2022”: https://audioxpress.com/news/acoustics-and-great-audio-electronics-in-audioxpress-august-2022

"Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms (Audio Engineering Society Presents) 3rd Edition" by Floyd E. Toole: https://amzn.to/3D029FY

“What Do Our Future A.I. Overlords Think About Hi-Fi?” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1212-what-do-our-future-a-i-overlords-think-about-hi-fi

"I Went Viral in the Bad Way: A few lessons from my mistake" by Charlie Warzel: https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/galaxy-brain/62fc502abcbd490021afea1e/twitter-viral-outrage-ai-art/

In this week’s first segment (2:54 to 13:57), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger opine about a new report from Strata-gee.com about consumer trends in difficult economic times, and speculate about what all of this may mean for hi-fi, especially given how luxury-focused our hobby has become. 

Next up (14:27 to 28:28) they springboard off an article about the 60th anniversary of Stereophile to discuss how that publication changed the way we read and write about audio, how the industry has changed since the magazine launched, as well as how much it has changed since John Atkinson became editor in the late 1980s. 

Finally (29:09 to 47:43), they dig into SoundStage! Hi-Fi’s coverage of the 2022-2023 EISA Awards. What are these awards, how are they selected, who votes on them, and which of the awards resonates most with Brent and Dennis? 

Sources:

“Data Suggests Inflation-Impacted High-Income Consumers are ‘Trading Down’” by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/data-suggests-inflation-impacted-high-income-consumers-are-trading-down/

"60 Years of Stereophile!" by John Atkinson: https://www.stereophile.com/content/60-years-stereophile

"Do That Voodoo That You Do" by Brent Butterworth: https://archive.org/details/home-theater-october-1996/page/n120/mode/2up?view=theater

"EISA's Best Products of 2022–2023" by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/eisa/2022-2023-awards/2022-2023-hi-fi/1730-eisas-best-products-of-2022-2023-hi-fi

"Sonus Faber Omnia Wireless Music System review" by Gordon Brockhouse: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/203-sonus-faber-omnia-wireless-music-system

"EISA HI-FI AWARDS 2022-23" by Darko Audio: https://youtu.be/reAviL5aRk4

In this week’s first segment (3:00 to 15:04), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger get the ball rolling by agreeing that Gordon Brockhouse’s review of the KEF LS60 Wireless active speaker system is probably the most important speaker review of 2022, and you should definitely read it. 

They follow that with a discussion (16:05 to 38:05) about a new blog post from The Absolute Sound’s Tom Martin that effectively presents bad measurements as proof that measurements are bad.

Finally (38:54 to 51:20), they dig into part two of Copper Magazine’s coverage of the AES Europe Spring 2022 convention, specifically a paper titled “Survey of User Perspectives on Headphone Technology.” There are some interesting revelations here. Will they influence the way Brent reviews headphones? And what do these data tell us about where, when, and how people are using headphones? The results might surprise you. 

Sources:

"KEF LS60 Wireless Active Speaker System” review by Gordon Brockhouse: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/209-kef-ls60-wireless-active-speaker-system

"Philosophical Notes: What Is the Trouble with Measurements?" by Tom Martin: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/philosophical-notes-what-is-the-trouble-with-measurements

“AES Europe Spring 2022, Part Two” by John Seetoo: https://www.psaudio.com/copper/article/aes-europe-spring-2022-part-two/

“Survey of User Perspectives on Headphone Technology” by Milap Rane, Philip Coleman, Russell Mason, and Søren Bech: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=21669

In this week’s first segment (02:48 to 15:52), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger share their varied opinions on “MoFi-gate,” the biggest scandal in the analog audiophile world right now. It turns out that Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab—long lauded for their all-analog production process—actually creates their lacquer masters from 4X DSD files these days, not directly from the master tapes. Will this be the end of this revered audiophile company? Is the outrage justified? Brent and Dennis have thoughts.

Next up (16:24 to 28:15), they dig back through the Stereophile archives to discuss a review of the Monitor Audio Studio 20 loudspeaker written by Robert Harley in 1991, complete with measurements by John Atkinson. Monitor Audio is a brand beloved by Brent and Dennis alike, so this throwback review gives them both the opportunity to reflect on just how much has changed in the world of loudspeaker design in the past 30 years. 

Finally (28:50 to 39:20), they dig into James Hale’s latest “Art+Tech” column on SoundStage! Experience, in which he explores the music of Charles Lloyd through a pair of different iFi Audio DACs, including the same Zen One Signature, which Dennis recently fell in love with and added to his reference stereo system. Somehow or another, though, this leads right back to a discussion about vinyl. 

Sources:

"Mobile Fidelity UPDATE New details on the current Controversy" by The 'In' Groove: https://youtu.be/mrahjsfJBc8

"Mobile Fidelity - Interview on Mastering With Shawn Britton, Krieg Wunderlich & Rob LoVerde" by The 'In' Groove: https://youtu.be/shg0780YgAE

"Michael Fremer from Tracking Angle Focus on the MoFi Video" by 45 RPM Audiophile: https://youtu.be/Xl15-RC3wMU

"Did Mobile Fidelity Lie?? The evidence examined (with a surprise at the end!)" by poetryonplastic: https://youtu.be/S6kFRQ9NTDw

"Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab VINYL, oops!" by Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac: https://youtu.be/B-_1lL3tfS0

“Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece” by Ashley Kahn https://www.dacapopress.com/titles/ashley-kahn/kind-of-blue/9780306815584/

"Monitor Audio Studio 20 loudspeaker review" by Robert Harley (First Published on Dec 1, 1991): https://www.stereophile.com/content/monitor-audio-studio-20-loudspeaker

"The iFi Audio Zen One Signature and Go Bar Open the Door to Charles Lloyd’s Chapel" by James Hale: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/art-tech/1075-the-ifi-audio-zen-one-signature-and-go-bar-open-the-door-to-charles-lloyd-s-chapel

"iFi Audio Zen One Signature Digital-to-Analog Converter review" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1197-ifi-audio-zen-one-signature-digital-to-analog-converter

In this week’s first segment (3:24 to 24:13), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger once again discuss the issue of RF interference, this time with regard to electronics, not speakers. A new product by Audio Group Denmark purports to deliver three levels of protection against noise sneaking in on your gear’s unused inputs. Is there anything to it?

Next up (24:44 to 36:46), they geek out over a really wild new speaker from Pitt & Giblin, which looks like a steampunk analog audiophile dream, but is powered by the latest in active class-D technology. That leads right into a sort of philosophical musing by John Darko of Darko Audio about a category he’s dubbed “Future-Fi.” 

Finally (37:18 to 51:10), they dig into a piece by SoundStage! editorial overlord Jeff Fritz about why audio journalists review some brands and not others. This gives Brent and Dennis the opportunity to discuss their somewhat different philosophies about what to review and why, and how PR and brand recognition play into the products they write about. 

Sources:

“Ansuz Acoustics Sortz” by Anthony Kershaw: https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2022/3/15/p3by3j4tge7ua99hujode955rfnuqg

SEESII Portable TinySA Spectrum Analyzer: https://amzn.to/3z2EsKK

Australian Manufacturer Pitt & Giblin's New Dynamic Duo” by SoundStage! Australia News Editor: https://www.soundstageaustralia.com/index.php/news/677-australian-manufacturer-pitt-giblins-new-dynamic-duo

"Is this the future of hi-fi? (I think it might be)" by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2022/07/is-this-the-future-of-hi-fi-i-think-it-might-be/

“The Curious Case of Avalon Acoustics” by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/opinion-menu/1122-the-curious-case-of-avalon-acoustics

In this week’s first segment (2:30 to 15:01), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger talk about McIntosh Laboratory’s newest product, the LB200 Light Box. This $1500 black box is, in the words of McIntosh, “very unique.” But what is it? Brent and Dennis explain this history of this controversial product and debate whether or not it’s worth the price.

Next up (15:51 to 34:44), they take a call from Gordon Sauck, owner of Innovative Audio, Canada’s “largest vintage audio emporium.” Gordon shares some thoughts about Dennis’ recent article on the appeal of vintage gear, as well as some anecdotes about what his customers are looking for, what they’re buying, and what he considers the golden age for stereo receivers.

Finally (35:36 to 56:08), Dennis picks Brent’s brain about Chi-Fi earphones. What are they, why is Brent reviewing so many of them here recently, and is that term problematic or what? 

Sources:

McIntosh LB200 Light Box: https://shop.mcintoshlabs.com/collections/gifts/products/lb200-light-box

“Why Is Vintage Audio So Hot Right Now?” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1196-why-is-vintage-audio-so-hot-right-now

Innovative Audio homepage: http://vintageaudio.ca/

“KZ x Crinacle CRN Earphones” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/equipment/earphones/334-kz-x-crinacle-crn-earphones

“CCA C10 Earphones” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/equipment/earphones/319-cca-c10-earphones

“NiceHCK DB3 Earphones” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/equipment/earphones/339-nicehck-db3-earphones

“TinHiFi T3 Plus Earphones” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/equipment/earphones/340-tinhifi-t3-plus-earphones

In this week’s first segment (03:48 to 17:46), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a new $29,150 headphone listening stack from dCS, and contrast that audio extravagance with a recent video from headphone tester/tuner Crinacle, in which he busts some myths about standalone headphone amps. 

Next up (17:46 to 44:32), SoundStage! Founder Doug Schneider calls in to discuss gear measurements from a publisher’s perspective. Are they bad for business? Do they alienate manufacturers? Are they useful to readers? And how do they help subjective reviewers support or defend their observations?

Wrapping things up (44:32 to end), Brent and Dennis give their thoughts on one of the most overused but poorly defined terms in audio: “resolving.” What does it mean in terms of speakers? Is “highly resolving” a good thing or a bad thing? A few videos from PS Audio’s Paul McGowan might give us some insight.  

Sources:
SoundStage! Network landing page: https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/

”Introducing dCS Lina” by TAS Staff: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/introducing-dcs-lina

“You Don't NEED an Amplifier” by Crinacle+ https://youtu.be/a3moaaOpYZM

PSB Speakers - 50 Years | Full Documentary: https://youtu.be/i_qy0dZDX8Q

“Can Speakers Be Too Resolving?” by PS Audio: https://youtu.be/6XFn8JPIr40

“Resolving Loudspeakers” by PS Audio: https://youtu.be/qPpr9g_i7xw

“What Speakers Have Resolving Power?” by PS Audio: https://youtu.be/PkErAEp7y0o

“What Measurements Can We Hhear?” by PS Audio: https://youtu.be/KHTYqOm3Y8c

In this episode, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger use an article by Gordon Brockhouse on SoundStageSimplifi.com about how SoundStage! Network contributors consume music as a springboard into a discussion about a new AES paper on how audio masters and streaming-app settings affect listener preferences. 

Next, the coverage of High End 2022 in Munich continues in the form of a discussion with SoundStage! editor-in-chief Jeff Fritz, who calls in to give his hot takes. 

Wrapping things up, Brent and Dennis ask and attempt to answer a simple question: How long does it actually take us to evaluate the sound of a new piece of audio gear? The answer may surprise you. 

Sources:
"How We Listen" by Gordon Brockhouse: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/feature-articles/204-how-we-listen

"Listener Preferences in Streamed Music" by Jon Allan and Susanna Leijonhufvud: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=21557

“High End 2022 - Munich, Germany” by Doug Schneider, Jeff Fritz, Jonathan Gorse, and Edgar Kramer: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/high-end-2022-munich-germany

"High End 2022: Jeff's Hot Takes" by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/high-end-2022-munich-germany/1015-he-2022-jeffs-hot-takes

“A Short Film About the KEF LS60 Wireless” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2022/05/a-short-film-about-the-kef-ls60-wireless/

In this episode, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger read the obituary for Onkyo, lament the company’s demise, then dig into why it may (or may not) ultimately be a good thing for the Onkyo brand. Next up, they discuss what is undoubtedly one of the most important speakers announced so far this year, the new KEF LS60 Wireless loudspeaker system. 

Wrapping things up, Brent and Dennis scratch the surface of SoundStage! Global’s coverage of High End 2022 in Munich, spotlighting some of the products that grabbed their attention.

Sources:

“Onkyo has gone bankrupt” by John Hvidlykke: https://www.lbtechreviews.com/news/hi-fi/onkyo-has-gone-bankrupt

“VOXX International Corporation Completes The Acquisition Of The Audio/Video Business Of Onkyo Home Entertainment Corporation”: https://investors.voxxintl.com/news-releases/news-release-details/voxx-international-corporation-completes-acquisition-audiovideo

“Premium Audio Company, LLC Comments on Onkyo Home Entertainment Bankruptcy Filing”: https://investors.voxxintl.com/news-releases/news-release-details/premium-audio-company-llc-comments-onkyo-home-entertainment

“KEF LS60 Wireless Loudspeakers”: https://www.soundstageaustralia.com/index.php/news/660-kef-ls60-wireless-loudspeakers

“A short film about the KEF LS60 Wireless” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2022/05/a-short-film-about-the-kef-ls60-wireless/

“High End 2022 - Munich, Germany” by Doug Schneider, Jeff Fritz, Jonathan Gorse, and Edgar Kramer: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/high-end-2022-munich-germany

In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick things off by talking about declining sales and layoffs at the former heavyweight of the audio world, Bose. Next up, they dig into an article by Brent, in which he tested the consistency of headphones and earphones at a variety of price points. 

Finally, they discuss a recent article by Dennis, in which he discussed his annual self-administered hearing test and advocated for a wider discussion about hearing health in the audiophile community. 

Sources:

"Layoffs hit Bose as the company focuses on its ‘most popular’ products" by Anissa Gardizy: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/03/business/layoffs-hit-bose-company-focuses-its-most-popular-products/

“How Consistent Is the Quality of Headphones and Earphones?” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/333-how-consistent-is-the-quality-of-headphones-and-earphones

"Every Audiophile Needs to Do This Annually" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1189-every-audiophile-needs-to-do-this-annually

Mimi Health website: https://mimi.health/hearing-test-apps

AudioCheck High Frequency Range Test (8-22 kHz): https://www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_frequencycheckhigh.php

AudioCheck Blind Tests: https://www.audiocheck.net/blindtests_index.php

In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger riff on an article by Diego Estan, in which he re-evaluated a pair of Stenheim Alumine Two speakers that demand something a little different in terms of setup. That leads to some insights gleaned from an interview Dennis conducted with Zoltan Balla and Blake Alty of Paradigm about how room design is influencing speaker design.

In the second segment, Brent and Dennis revisit the “live music as a reference” debate, which leads to a discussion about an old article by Sean Olive on live-versus-recorded-music tests and why they’re problematic. Lastly, they vicariously visit the Montreal Audiofest 2022 by way of SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider’s show coverage, and discuss the products they wish they could have heard themselves. 

Sources:

"Doing Our Due Diligence: Room Gain Revisited with the Stenheim Alumine Two Loudspeakers" by Doug Schneider and Diego Estan: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1661-doing-our-due-diligence-room-gain-revisited-with-the-stenheim-alumine-two-loudspeakers

"A Fantastic Gateway" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1186-a-fantastic-gateway-a-qa-with-paradigms-zoltan-balla-and-blake-alty-on-the-new-monitor-se-8000f-loudspeaker

"On Live Music" by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/content/live-music

"Why Live-versus-Recorded Listening Tests Don't Work" by Sean Olive: https://seanolive.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-live-versus-recorded-listening.html

"AudioQuest NightHawk Headphones" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/equipment/headphones/75-audioquest-nighthawk-headphones

"Montreal Audiofest 2022 - Montreal, Canada" by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/montreal-audiofest-2022-montreal-canada

In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into a new album by David Chesky called Graffiti Jazz, a unique and fascinating jazz composition that comes with separate mixes for speakers and headphones. From there they transition into a discussion about Dirac Live’s new Auto Target Curve and how it potentially improves some aspects of room correction, as well as how it could be improved even more. As an aid to new listeners who’ve complained about overuse of terms like hertz and kilohertz without explaining what these mean, we’ve also included a few tone sweeps to illustrate the frequency ranges being discussed. 

To wrap things up, Brent and Dennis dig into two new articles about GaN FETs vs. MOSFETs and what they mean for class-D amplifiers, which gives them a perfect opportunity to dispel some myths about class D. 

Sources:

Graffiti Jazz (David Chesky) [Digital Download]: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/products/graffiti-jazz-david-chesky-digital-download

"David Chesky's New New Revolution in Headphone Sound" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/329-david-cheskys-new-new-revolution-in-headphone-sound

"Dirac Introduces New Dirac Live Auto Target Curve" by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/dirac-introduces-new-dirac-live-auto-target-curve

"This One Room-Correction Trick Could Breathe New Life into Your A/V Receiver" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1109-this-one-room-correction-trick-could-breathe-new-life-into-your-av-receiver

"NAD C 399 Integrated Amplifier-DAC Review" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1179-nad-c-399-integrated-amplifier-dac

"Voice for True Wireless Earbuds, GaN, and More Exciting Audio Frontiers in audioXpress April 2022": https://audioxpress.com/news/voice-for-true-wireless-earbuds-gan-and-more-exciting-audio-frontiers-in-audioxpress-april-2022

"The Peachtree Audio GaN400: A New Breed of Class D Amplification" by Jacob Green: https://www.audioholics.com/amplifier-reviews/peachtree-audio-gan400

In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger slay the RF interference dragon with math and science. Next up, they opine about the new Lōkē subwoofer from Wilson Audio, which has caused quite a bit of controversy in the audiophile community in recent weeks. 

Wrapping things up, they dig into a recent article by Dennis about digital-to-analog converters and whether they make a difference, which leads to a discussion of an older SoundStage! Experience article by Brent in which he put this exact question to the test. 

Sources:

“Fono Acustica - Compás Speaker Ground System”: https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/fono-acustica-compas-speaker-ground-system/

“Wilson Audio Introduces the Lōkē subwoofer (for TuneTot)” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2022/03/wilson-audio-introduces-the-loke-subwoofer-for-tunetot/

Wilson LōKē Subwoofer discussion thread at ASR: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/wilson-l%C5%8Dk%C4%93-subwoofer.31552/

“How Much Difference Do DACs Really Make?” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1183-how-much-difference-do-dacs-really-make

“The Problem with Blind Testing” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/pulse-menu/834-the-problem-with-blind-testing

In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig deep into the former's most recent editorial on SoundStage! Solo: "Why You Shouldn't Always Rely on Measurements." They also give their take on the recent news that medical equipment manufacturer Masimo has purchased Sound United—parent company of Denon, Polk, Marantz, Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, Definitive Technology, and Boston Acoustics—for a billion bucks.

Finally, Brent and Dennis take a virtual stroll through SoundStage! Global's coverage of the 2022 Florida Audio Expo and talk about the products they most wish they could have auditioned for themselves.

Sources:

"Why You Shouldn't Always Rely on Measurements" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/325-why-you-shouldnt-always-rely-on-measurements

"Thoughts on Reviewing" by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/content/thoughts-reviewing

"Segmentation of Listeners Based on Their Preferred Headphone Sound Quality Profiles" by Sean Olive, Todd Welti, and Omid Khonsaripour: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=20289

"Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G Loudspeakers" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1175-monitor-audio-silver-300-7g-loudspeakers

"Sound United Acquired by Medical Products Maker Masimo Corp. in $1B Deal" by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/sound-united-acquired-by-medical-products-maker-masimo-corp-in-1b-deal/

"Florida Audio Expo 2022 Coverage from Tampa, USA" by Doug Schneider and Jason Davis: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/florida-audio-expo-2022-tampa-usa

In this episode of the SoundStage Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into The Most Dangerous Myth in Audio and open up the reader mailbag to find a link to an alternative point of view from The Absolute Sound. That leads right into a discussion of a recent Audioholics piece about NFTs, the art market, and the future of hi-fi.

Lastly, they dig deep into a recent video from Danny Richie of GR-Research about corruption in the audiophile press and how YouTube reviewers aren't quite savvy enough to review his gear.

Sources:

"The Most Dangerous Myth in Audio" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1174-the-most-dangerous-myth-in-audio

"Philosophical Notes: Secrets You Need to Know to Be an Audiophile, p.1" by Tom Martin: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/philosophical-notes-secrets-you-need-to-know-to-be-an-audiophile-p-1

"Measuring Sensory Memory: Magnetoencephalography Habituation and Psychophysics" by Zhong-Lin Lu and George Sperling: https://lobes.osu.edu/Journals/LEA03b.pdf

"CALLING OUT the REVIEWERS!" by Danny Richie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GVzN0_TCaM&t=23s&ab_channel=GR-Research

"The Biggest Problem with Audio Reviewers (and Manufacturers)" by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/opinion-menu/1084-the-biggest-problem-with-audio-reviewers-and-manufacturers

In this inaugural episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into fan mail, relitigate the great “headphones vs. speakers” debate, and discuss why they’re hopping on the podcasting bandwagon at this juncture.

They also riff on a recent video from The Audiophiliac himself, Steve Guttenberg, about why you shouldn’t spend a ton of dough on your first pair of speakers. The two also pontificate about a hot new Kickstarter campaign for the Heavys, the first modern wireless headphones aimed squarely at metalheads, and speculate about why no manufacturer is making cans specifically for the underserved Yacht Rock community.

Lastly, they dig into a new article by SoundStage! editor-in-chief Jeff Fritz titled “Stereophile and D'Agostino: Is It Really a Progression?” Is there really any excuse for a $45K/pair monoblock amplifier to measure anything less than perfectly? And what do those measurements mean, really? Unsurprisingly, Brent and Dennis have opinions on the matter.

Sources:
“BEFORE you buy an expensive speaker watch this video!” by Steve Guttenberg: https://youtu.be/dZDylt8F0fI

“Speakers or Headphones?” by Dennis Burger and Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1167-speakers-or-headphones

HEAVYS | Headphones Engineered for Heavy Metal: https://www.heavys.com/

“Stereophile and D’Agostino: Is It Really a Progression?” by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/opinion-menu/1069-stereophile-and-d-agostino-is-it-really-a-progression